Ready To Climb
by Tess DiCorsi
Summary: Matter of trust. Post "Kill House" one-shot (no pun intended).


**DISCLAIMER**: Not mine. Just playing with them and promise not to break anything. Post "Kill House" in season four.

* * *

_"When a gifted team dedicates itself to unselfish trust and combines instinct with boldness and effort, it is ready to climb." - Patanjali_

Deeks watched a rather determined Nell Jones walk up to him. It was a small, no insult intended, diversion from watching Kensi clean Sam's clock in pool. Of course Sam's wink before the game began tipped Deeks off that the fix was in. Kensi was still stewing over the first run through the Kill House. Kensi likes to win way too much, though Deeks thought his argument that the team won the run through the Kill House that actually mattered was worthwhile. Why that second run mattered was now standing in front of him with her hands on her hips.

"Why are you sitting here alone?" Nell asked, truly concerned.

He was sitting on bar stool with his back to the bar drinking some dreadful decaf, watching the team have a post-kidnapping bonding session in the back room of a dive bar called Siberia - a Hetty Lange approved dive bar. The team was getting a little too good at these post-near disaster bonding events, though this place was much more his style than the Shrunken Head Tiki Bar where they toasted Nate's return after Lt. Prietto's funeral. Deeks pointed to the vacant bar stool next to him and Nell climbed up. "Well, since you're here I'm hardly alone."

"Listen, I didn't have anything to drink yet. I can relieve you of your designated driver duties."

"Absolutely not. If anyone earned a drink tonight, it's you." Deeks turned to Nick the bartender. "A vodka gimlet for my brave, young friend here."

Nick nodded and started to work.

"You remembered," Nell smiled at Deeks.

"Did a long-term undercover job running a bar back in the day. Old habits die hard. You're a vodka gimlet, Eric's a Corona with a shot of tequila. Kensi likes Abita beer but will drink just about anything. She's having Bud Tall Boys tonight. Sam starts with a beer, usually whatever is on tap, but it is one beer. Then he has a shot of whatever ridiculously expensive scotch Hetty and Callen are mainlining. And Sam has one and only one shot too."

"Here you go," Nick gave Nell her drink with a warm smile before walking away.

Deeks lifted his coffee cup. "To the good old days which we're having right now."

Nell lifted her glass and took a sip of the gimlet. "This isn't how I figured today was going to end."

"Sitting at a bar having a drink with a handsome police detective? Surely Nell, you've had those dreams."

Nell tried to stifle a giggle, making Deeks smile. "No. I thought today was going to be a normal day at work. A couple of hours later, I was worried about never seeing work again."

Deeks was suddenly serious. "Nell, you have to know we were always coming for you."

"Oh, I knew that. I never doubted that," she assured Deeks.

"Did you have your Sig with you?"

Nell nodded yes. "Willis, one of Inman's men, got the drop on me before I understood what was happening. I won't make that mistake again. Sam said he'd work with me about being more aware of my surroundings when I'm out in the field."

"Excellent idea. I put in a call to LAPD. Next time you're at a crime scene, they'll be a uniformed officer available if the team has to leave you behind for some reason. If there isn't a uniform around, tell me and I'll make sure there is one."

"You didn't have to do that."

"I should have done that today. Kensi and I left before we knew you'd be there. Still, I should have made sure LAPD was looking out for any non-field agents working the crime scene for NCIS. That's on me."

"LAPD was long gone when I showed up to meet Callen and Sam. Besides, I've gone into the field by myself in the past."

"And that's fine but today you were at an active crime scene with some highly trained operatives as suspects. There should have been someone from the Department at least looking around. There will be a uniform there next time."

"Thank you," Nell smiled.

"And I don't know if you're interested but on Thursdays, I either go in early or leave late to get in some extra time at the shooting range. I'd be happy to work with you if you want some tips or just someone around to talk to on the range."

Nell smiled. "I'd like that."

"Kensi could probably give you some tips about self-defense."

"She already offered."

Deeks lifted an eyebrow. "Has anyone not offered some sort of help?"

"I haven't heard from the Director but he's not back from his leave of absence," Nell smiled. "Everyone has been very supportive. Even Granger."

"Yeah, who saw that almost apology coming today?"

"I'm figuring Hetty had a lot to do with it."

Deeks looked at Hetty and Callen at a small table in deep discussion. "I don't like the man and I sure as hell didn't like what he did with Kensi last year but I'll give Granger this, it takes a tough man to put be on the business end of Hetty Lange all day, every day for over a year."

"Well, technically, Hetty reports to Assistant Director Granger but I know what you mean." Nell took another sip of her drink. "Can I ask you a question, Detective?"

"Sure."

"I asked Sam and Callen this earlier but I'm interested in your take." Nell took a sip of her drink and then a deep breath. "When do you stop being afraid of going into something like what happened today? The four of you took out a couple of guards and Inman and then you teased Kensi about that package she got for the entire ride back to the office."

"It kept her from playing her techno music. That's a priority for me."

"Seriously, how do you do it? How do you go from a terrifying situation in that building to joking around ten minutes later? How are you not afraid?"

"What did Callen and Sam say?"

"I'm interested in your answer."

Deeks leaned down and grabbed his messenger bag. After pulling out a pen and a legal pad, he wrote something, shielding his work from Nell. Theatrically, he pulled the piece of paper from the pad and folded it in half. "Tell me what Sam and Callen said and I'll share my answer." He held the folded sheet in one hand as he eased the bag back to the floor.

"They told me trust my training."

"Ah, your cryptic yet wise answer after you got away from Inman." Deeks handed her the sheet of paper. "It was actually Callen's advice to Kensi and me before the first Kill House exercise."

Nell looked up at him. "It didn't work."

"I disagree. First, we were sent in to fail. The win for us was getting to the laptop without losing anyone to the exercise. I'm guessing that surprised Inman's group."

"I don't understand."

"If we went in differently to start the exercise say as a team or paired up with different partners, we still would have failed. If it was an honest training session and not Inman's criminal enterprise, we still would have failed because how else can the firm earn their probably exorbitant training fees if we just blow by them."

"Ah," Nell understood. "It's the same reason why the practice tests for the SATs are always harder than the SATs."

"Exactly. Still interested in my answer?" Deeks offered her the folded piece of paper.

"Absolutely," she told him. As theatrically as Deeks pulled it away from pad, Nell unfolded the sheet of paper. There was just one word, "trust," printed in block letters. "Trust. Just trust?"

"Trust, Nell. Trust your training. Trust what you're there to do. Trust your partner. Trust yourself. Trust what you know and trust what you don't know. Finally, trust that whatever happens, you're going home every night and the bad guys are going out in handcuffs."

"Hmmm."

"Oh, watch this," Deeks tilted his head in Kensi's direction. "Kensi's about to, ahem, beat Sam. If she makes the shot, not guaranteed by the way, she'll lift her arms up like someone scored a touchdown, yell some version of 'woohoo,' do the little Kensi dance of victory, suddenly feel sorry for Sam and give him a big hug."

Nell looked at him as if he were insane.

When Kensi sunk the winner, she lifted her arms as if someone scored a touchdown, yelled 'woohoo,' did what looked like a salsa but in a circle before smiling at Sam and giving him a big hug.

"I guess that's what you meant by trusting your partner. You knew exactly what she was going to do."

"No, I knew exactly what she was going to do because I saw that about thirty times on the Van Buren. Kensi did quite well in this entertainment room slash pool hall playing against the young sailors. The sailors did quite well in the hugging department."

"They let her win?" When he nodded yes, Nell asked "Did she know?"

"Of course she did. Believe me, they were all these good guys who were a long way from home at Christmastime, talking to a pretty girl who was nice to them while they played pool. They were lined up to play against her. It was sweet, really and if you tell her any of that, I'll deny it all."

"Roger that. But if that's not trusting your partner, what is?"

"It's not just knowing what she's going to do when it all works out. That's easy. It's knowing what she's going to do when it all goes to hell. It's knowing that if something bad has happened to me, she's got my back. It's knowing what she does well, which in Kensi's case is almost everything, and what she does poorly, which is almost nothing."

"What if your partner isn't good at everything?"

"Then you know what they can do and you adjust accordingly. I had one undercover case where a detective assigned to the investigation had a drinking problem. Whenever I saw him coming, I made damn sure I ran like hell and got us away from anyone we were investigating."

"Why?"

"He called me 'Deeks' once when he was doing a stop and frisk with me and my targets."

Nell gasped. "What did you do?"

"Belted him in the mouth and told him not to call me a 'dick' ever again."

"Did it work?"

"Being drunk, he slurred my name enough that I got away with it. While it helped my cover as a low level drug dealer, I got called in by Internal Affairs for assaulting a fellow officer. That got cleared up pretty quickly when his partner confirmed my version of what happened."

"So why would you run?"

"I'd usually be picked up for something minor as a way to share intel. If I ran, I'd get myself caught far away from anyone under investigation." Deeks took a sip of his coffee. "Then again, by the time he caught up, his usual choice of names made 'dick' seem kind. You learn as you go."

"So how do I learn as I go along without getting in trouble?"

"You hope you don't. I learned I was sloppy about my personal security by getting shot. Unfortunately, the whole team learned I was being sloppy too. It was embarrassing when Sam and Callen got to the hospital. They need to trust me as much as I trust them. I don't like being the weakest link and it's worse when it's all my fault for being sloppy. I've made it a point not to be the weakest link after that."

"I was the weakest link today."

"No, you were in a place where you wrongly thought you were secure. Next time, there will be an officer there to make sure you're safe and you'll be a lot more on your toes about your personal security. If I can learn as I go, it will be easy for you."

Nell nodded. "But how to you go to work every day not knowing what's going to happen?"

Deeks looked at Nell. "Would you have stayed home from work today if you knew you were going into the field? Forget what happened after that. When Hetty and Callen wanted you to go to the crime scene and look at the cameras and the security footage, did you think of saying no?"

"Of course not."

"Of course not, why? NCIS gave you a weapon and some training. You knew there could be a time where you were asked to protect yourself or someone else. I saw you in action when Peter Clairmont tried to kill Kensi. Did you think that day you should have said no to driving me and Alex Harris to that park?"

"No, it's my job to do..."

"And that's your answer," Deeks interrupted. "It is what you signed up for; it's what I signed up for. If I wanted predictable days, I would have stayed in the Legal Bureau at LAPD. Hell, if I wanted really predictable days, I would have gotten some sort of legal gig at a bank, a big company or a law firm, worrying about financial regulations or corporate governance. I was interested in doing something more. Now I have a question for you: is that what you're interested in?"

"Corporate governance?"

Deeks chuckled. "Nell, playing dumb doesn't work for someone as smart as you. Why did you take the job at NCIS when you could be probably making better money and working a whole lot less for that think tank that recruited you?"

"I wanted to do something, I don't know, important. In the think tank job, I'd be writing analyses that probably would be skimmed by other analysts and put in a drawer or file cabinet somewhere. I actually liked when Callen and Hetty had me go into the field to study the restaurant's security cameras. There are things the four of you can do that I'm not sure I ever can do but I like showing up sometimes and being part of the team."

"Nell, you're part of the team. I wasn't kidding this afternoon, what you did was awesome. When Kensi said she didn't have a shot I was trying to figure out how I could launch myself from that staircase, grab you and not hurt you or hurt myself while Kensi, Sam and Callen took out Inman. Instead, you get yourself out of harm's way freeing us up to do what we do."

"So I trusted what the team would do."

"Trust. You knew what to do because you trusted your training. You knew what we can do. Trust." Deeks pointed around the room. "Trust what you're doing is right. Trust your team. Trust your partner. Trust yourself."

"What if I'm not enough?"

"You? Really?"

"Physically, I wonder. You look at me, you look at Kensi. She looks like a field agent. Sam, Callen, you, you all look like agents."

"Or agents and a cop. Who is the biggest badass in the room right now?"

Nell's answer was automatic. "Hetty."

"Does she look like a field agent?"

"God no. It is her greatest advantage."

"And it will be yours if you decide to work more in the field. Sam's a great agent, and don't tell him I said that, but you see him coming. Maybe he's the bad guy, maybe's he's the good guy but you're not going to miss him. People are never going to see you coming."

Nell nodded and thought for a second. "But I got myself captured."

"The summer before you joined our band of merry NCIS'ers and I became the liaison officer fulltime, I wasn't working with them at all. I was the liaison officer but I was working long-term undercover case for the Department. Things went to hell just as the case was wrapping up. My targets were killed, my handler was killed and while it wasn't official, LAPD had me missing and presumed dead."

"Okay."

"So I'm trying to quietly salvage the case, get the investigation's ultimate target and try to get at least something out of four months of work. I started calling people I knew could help. Hetty answered. She tried to protect me but I had a chance to wrap up the case so I sort of went off on my own."

"I never saw this in our files."

"LAPD file. There was a dirty cop involved in the investigation. He was the one who sold out my targets, sold out my handler and, as I learned when I met with the primary target, sold me out too."

"You survived."

"I was rescued. Callen showed up, Kensi did her sniper thing, Sam came in guns a blazing and we wound up with three dead bad guys, one injured bad guy and eventually took down the dirty cop."

"Probably making you even more popular with LAPD."

"Yeah, there's that. The funny thing, if Hetty doesn't pick up the phone, my next call would have been to a detective I knew who was always good to me. I figured he'd help."

"He was the dirty cop, wasn't he?"

"Smart girl. So the self-congratulatory feeling for making the right decision to contact Hetty is completely wiped out by the fact that if she didn't answer her phone, Frank Scarli was my next call. Trust what you know but also trust that you don't know everything. That was our mistake in the first Kill House run. We were told to get the laptop. The intel was wrong. We made the switch from getting the laptop to hostage rescue not knowing how many of the trainers were viable in the facility. One got away from me and I thought that was the hostage taker. Obviously, it wasn't."

"So you learn from that."

"Of course. Plus, this team has a great advantage with amazing intelligence," Deeks smiled at Nell, "provided by awesome analysts. Our intel usually isn't wrong. But one of us should have been stationed at the door after we secured the laptop. We won't make that mistake again."

Nell nodded and sipped her drink. "So if I trust my team, my training, my partner, what I know and understand that I don't know everything, I shouldn't be afraid to go in guns a blazing, to quote you."

"You should always be a little afraid. Keeps you on your toes. Keeps you paying attention. Protects you in a way. It also reminds you that you're up to the job when you succeed. Nell, you're up to the job. That's the one thing I've figured out since I got here. When you were assigned to Special Projects, I was told that it was a well-known fact inside NCIS that Hetty was tough on intelligence analysts. You had to know that."

"I thought I could contribute. I thought I'd be valuable. I wanted to learn from Hetty."

"You have contributed, you are valuable and I saw you fill in for Hetty - you've learned. You also trusted a few things. You trusted your training as an intelligence analyst. You trusted Hetty and everyone would see how incredibly good you are at what you do. You trusted that you could work with Eric and become a great team. You trusted yourself. Nell, you can't go wrong with that."

Nell smiled. "Thank you, Detective."

Eric walked into the room with several boxes of pizza and what looked like a boom box.

"Oh, cool," Nell exclaimed. "Eric brought the karaoke machine."

"Cool wouldn't be the term I'd use," Deeks grumbled.

"When we went to that dive karaoke bar by the beach, you looked like you were having fun."

"I was pretty tanked that night. I think listening to Kensi doing "Take On Me" with sober ears may not be as entertaining."

"She was pretty awful."

"Pretty and awful. Don't tell her that." Deeks pointed to Eric who was waving a slice in their direction and motioning for Nell to join him. "I believe Eric is trying to woo you with promises of pizza."

"Maybe he wants to share a slice with you?" Nell almost giggled again.

Deeks made a mental note to take Kensi and Nell out for drinks and see who is more entertaining when they're a little buzzed. "I don't kiss him in Ops."

"It wasn't in Ops. It was downstairs. And I was dressed as an elf while Eric was contemplating his tights."

"Nell, the two of you are consenting adults. How you two chose to dress during whatever dalliance you shared is no business of mine," Deeks said smiling ear to ear. "I should probably quit while we're both ahead."

"Probably. Also Kensi looks like she's getting you some pizza."

"Ah, I have her so well-trained. But don't tell her that either, it'll get me in trouble."

"I consider all our Kensi conversations confidential. Just like her conversations with me about you."

"Oh, that was cold, Nell. But don't tell me what she says. I'll make up the conversations in my head. Maybe they'll drown out her karaoke singing." Nell was almost giggling again and Deeks decided he now had to ply both women with liquor one night.

"Thanks for hanging out with me, Detective."

"Thank you for sitting with me." Deeks turned serious again. "Nell, if you have any problems with what happened today and you want someone to talk to, you give me a call. Day or night, anytime. If you don't want to talk to me, I'm sure Kensi would be a big help."

"Are you sure you won't get in trouble for volunteering her for that duty?"

"I think I'd be in trouble if I didn't. You need someone to talk to Nell, we're here. Trust your team."

Nell climbed off her bar stool with a small helping hand from Deeks. She shocked the hell out of him when she gave him a small kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for everything, Detective. You're a good friend," she said before she walked over to Eric.

A minute later, Kensi walked up to him with a box of pizza, a handful of napkins and a couple of paper plates. "What was that with Nell?" Kensi asked as she put the pizza box on the bar and handed him a plate.

"Kens, it's a bar. Women can't keep stay away from me, you know that," he said humbly.

Before Kensi could reply, Nick asked if she wanted another beer. Kensi nodded yes.

"Sure you don't want to keep your wits about you?" Deeks teased as she passed him a slice.

"Maybe I should reconsider," Kensi said just before Nick returned with her beer. "I wouldn't want to be so blitzed that I couldn't stay away from you." She took the beer anyway. "To tempting fate," she gave him a small toast then took a long pull on her beer.

"Nell was stone cold sober when she walked up, even offering to take over my designated driver status." Deeks put up his hand to stop Kensi's coming objection. "I got her a vodka gimlet and, as planned, I'm driving everyone home."

"As opposed to driving them crazy."

Deeks looked around before moving in close to Kensi. "I was planning to drive you crazy after I dropped everyone off."

Kensi smiled and then punched him in the arm.

Deeks leaned back. "Ouch!"

It was Kensi's turn to lean in closer. "Maybe before I let you drive me crazy, I'll kiss that and make it better," she purred before turning to her meal.

"I may just hold you to that."

Kensi put down her slice of pizza and asked sincerely, "How's Nell?"

"OK. Trying to process everything that happened today."

"We shouldn't have left her alone."

"Agreed. While you were off storing the gear..."

"Yeah, and thanks for the help with that," Kensi interrupted.

Deeks continued, "While you were off storing the gear, I was making arrangements so that the next time any non-field agent for NCIS is at a crime scene or any other location where LAPD has some jurisdiction, they will be assigned a uniformed officer."

"Oh. Thanks for doing that."

"And I'll store the gear next time."

"Promises, promises." Kensi took a bite of her pizza and washed it down with some beer. "How is Nell doing, really?"

"Besides dealing with the whole getting grabbed up by Inman's crew and having an automatic rifle pointed at the head, I think she's worried that we think she failed."

"Really? She saved herself."

"She's blaming herself for getting grabbed in the first place and that we had to come and get her. Nell doesn't strike me as someone who wants to be seen needing help." Deeks pointed to Nell, who was eating her pizza about as delicately as he's ever seen a human down a slice. "Look at her," Deeks smiled, now doing to Nell what he had done earlier to Kensi. "What do you think was a bad grade for her in school? A 99 on a test? An 'A' and not an 'A-plus' on a paper?"

"She's a smart one."

"Yeah, NCIS does seem to attract more than its fair share of bright women," Deeks smiled as Kensi still looked at Nell. "Seems to me Nell was weighing her chances for success if she wanted to be a field agent."

"She'd be a fine field agent."

"Agreed. But she has to come to that realization. She was wondering about being in the field, fear, trust. All the fun stuff that comes with working outside of Ops."

"What did you tell her?"

"Told her that fear isn't the worst thing. It keeps you on your toes, keeps you paying attention," Deeks took a bite of his pizza. "Told her that if you have a partner and a team that you trust, you're in a much better position to succeed and your agency and Hetty seem to put together teams and partnerships that work. Look what happened today. Inman walked in with a gun to Nell's head and he lasted less than a minute."

"She was pretty awesome," Kensi turned back and smiled at him.

"As I said, awesome seems to be a trait you NCIS gals all have."

"Oh, I'm telling Hetty you called her a gal."

"I'll just tell her I called you all awesome."

"Do you think Nell will wind up as a field agent?"

"Nope, I think she'll wind up being Hetty." Deeks finished off his coffee.

"They won't have to get her a different desk chair," Kensi said aloud.

"Oh no, you didn't."

Kensi covered her mouth in shock. "I can't believe I said that."

"No more beer for you." Deeks laughed as he waved to Nick. "Two decafs," he ordered. Turning his attention back to Kensi, he asked, "Are you OK? Eat your pizza."

"I'm fine. I just can't believe I said that."

"Seriously, are you OK? Today wasn't just a lot for Nell."

Nick stopped by with a coffee mug for Kensi and a refill for Deeks. Kensi took a sip as Nick left. "This is awful."

"A bar like this really doesn't make its money serving high-end coffee. And you didn't answer my question."

Kensi looked at her coffee before looking at him. "I know we were set up to fail but I still don't like to lose."

"Oh, I never noticed."

"Of course not, I've never lost anything to you."

"Touché."

"That's my line." She took a bite of her pizza. "And I'm still not telling you what's in the box."

"I'm a detective. Give me time, I'll detect." Deeks smiled at her before whispering "What's in the box?"

Ignoring him, Kensi said "Back to Nell, she was amazing. I was proud of her."

"I'm glad. Again, you still didn't answer my original question. Are you OK?"

Kensi opened her mouth but shook her head no. After he lifted an eyebrow, she started again. "The first time we went through the house, I didn't want to let the guys down. I didn't want to let you down."

"Oh, Kensi..." Deeks tried to interrupt.

"No," Kensi held her hand up. "Sam and Callen knew what they were doing and I didn't want you or me, especially me, to be the ones not up to the job."

"You were fine today Edwina Scissorhands. Better than fine."

"You did okay, too," Kensi looked at him and smiled. "It was interesting being at the big boys' table."

"And you'll be back there soon, Miss Blye. You too, Mr. Deeks," Hetty said as she suddenly appeared on next to Kensi. "I hope you two don't have plans for the holiday weekend."

"What's up, Hetty?" Deeks had plans for the holiday weekend that included Kensi, Monty, some surfing and three nights at the Casa de Playa bed and breakfast down near Carlsbad.

"Acting Director Craig with the SecNav's Office have arranged a weekend training trip for the both of you at Camp Pendleton. They have their own tactical training center there and I'd like the both of you to go through a weekend review session. I've already cleared this with Lt. Bates and Col. Davis of Camp Pendleton. He's their Joint Special Operations Training Officer."

"Okay," Deeks looked at Kensi who was obviously all in on this change of plans.

"I'm sure Miss Blye knows some nice places to stay near the base."

"Casa de Playa is nice. It's near Carlsbad." Kensi smiled at Deeks. "You'll like it. It is even dog friendly if you can't board Monty on short notice."

"If you can get yourselves rooms, you'll be reimbursed if you chose not to stay on the base. And Mr. Deeks, when the training is over, I'm sure some of the Marines would be happy to point you to where you can surf in Oceanside if you chose to stay through Monday."

"I'm there," Deeks smiled. Of course they'll have to reserve a second room. Training during the day, Kensi at night and a little surfing on the side - he's had worse work weekends.

"And we're out of here," Callen said as he and Sam walked up stand with Hetty.

Deeks stood. "Let me just hit the men's room and I'll drive you..."

"I haven't had anything to drink tonight and I'm not leaving my car on the street around here," Sam told Deeks. "Besides, I think you're in for a long night with the Wonder Twins." Sam pointed to Nell, who was now hoisted on Eric's shoulders, trying to connect a wire to a speaker near the ceiling.

"Kens, try to keep your choices in the last decade or so," Callen recommended.

"What's wrong with my version of 'Groove Is In The Heart?'"

"There isn't enough time before we have to go to Camp Pendleton next weekend to explain that," Deeks told her, glad he was standing just out of punching range.

"It's a great song."

"It's always good to have some firm opinions Miss Blye, misguided as that one may be. Good night, you two."

Deeks was smiling as Hetty started walking away. Kensi, not so much.

"Classics, Kens. Ballads, big band. You can never go wrong with Sinatra," Sam offered.

"Oh yes she can," Callen mumbled. "Before we go, you two did a great job today. The training at Pendleton will only enhance what you were able to do today."

"Thanks," Kensi was smiling again. With that, Sam and Callen took off. Callen grabbed a pizza box as he got near the door. "Looks like Callen has breakfast for the next few days."

"If there is any left over, you and I can share some tomorrow morning."

"Yeah, about that," Kensi got serious.

"Kensi, I've seen what's in your fridge, you have no right to look at cold pizza for breakfast with disdain."

"No, I was thinking maybe when you go out surfing tomorrow, I'd pick up Nell and we'd have a girl's day out. Maybe some yoga, mani/pedi, spa lunch if she's feeling healthy..."

"Lots of sugar and chocolate if she's feeling Kensi. Sounds like an awesome idea."

"Hey guys," Eric walked up with a big smile. "We've got the soundtrack for "Grease"..."

"Of course you do," Deeks teased.

"You'd make an awesome Kenickie."

"No, I'm going to make an awesome designated driver. But I'll be happy to be the attentive audience and if you can keep Kensi away from the mike, we can stop off at The Pie Hole on the way home."

"Oh, that's no fair. I want to sing but I want pie," Kensi faux-whined.

"Kens, I heard your "Hanging Tough" a couple of years ago, have the pie," Eric said as he draped an arm around Kensi and walked her to a table near the karaoke set-up.

Deeks wondered why that didn't earn Eric a punch as he waved Nick over.

"What can I do for you?"

"We're going to relive senior year at Rydell High. Do you smoke?"

"You can't smoke in here."

"Not what I asked."

"Yeah, I was going to have one of the cocktail waitresses cover for me in a few minutes. Why?"

Deeks pulled out his wallet and gave Nick a twenty. "There's a Starbucks around the corner. Could you get me a large decaf cappuccino on your smoke break? Get yourself whatever. I worked in a bar for a while, not that I think anyone's going to be drinking much more once the floor show starts but I can cover whatever we need while you're out."

"Deal. And your girl is right, the coffee here is terrible. The owner doesn't want people drinking it."

"Yeah, that's what I figured. And she's my partner, not my girl."

"You keep telling yourself that, man," Nick tucked the twenty into his shirt pocket. "I'll be back in ten."

"You ready to have your socks knocked off, Deeks?" Nell asked as Deeks took a seat next to Kensi.

"Tell me more, tell me more," Deeks replied before whispering in Kensi's ear "What's in the box?"

-30-

Loved the Kensi/Nell hug near the end of "Kill House" and how Kensi and Deeks walked Nell into the office once they returned. Ran with that.

As always, thanks for reading.


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